How to Study MBBS Abroad: 8 Steps for Indian Students

How to study MBBS abroad comes down to four steps. An Indian student must first qualify NEET UG. Next, choose a university whose course meets the NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021. Then pass its admission test and get a student visa. A degree that breaks the NMC rules cannot lead to a licence in India.

Updated on 30 September 2026.

Key Takeaways

• NEET UG comes first. The NTA NEET UG 2026 information bulletin states that Indian citizens and OCI candidates who want to study medicine at a foreign institute must also qualify NEET UG.

• The NMC rules decide whether the degree counts. The course must run at least 54 months, be taught in English and include a 12-month internship at the same university (NMC FMGL Regulations, 2021).

• Each university runs its own admission. Most European medical faculties set their own entrance test and fee. Comenius University in Bratislava, for example, charges EUR 13,000 a year and holds its own exam.

• Coming home means FMGE. A foreign graduate must pass the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), the screening test run by NBEMS, and then complete a 12-month supervised internship in India.

• India's seat gap is real. India has 1,23,700 MBBS seats (PIB, Cabinet release) against 11.21 lakh candidates who qualified NEET UG 2026 (NTA result press release). That is about one seat for every nine qualified candidates.

How to study MBBS abroad: the steps at a glance

How to study MBBS abroad, in short, is eight steps. Most families start in the year of Class 12 and finish when the student boards the flight in August or September.

Our MBBS abroad hub brings the country and university guides together in one place, so you can move from this checklist to a specific destination.

How to study MBBS abroad, step 1: who is eligible?

A student is eligible to study MBBS abroad for practice in India if they meet the same basic conditions as an Indian MBBS applicant. These come from the NEET UG 2026 information bulletin.

• Age. The student must be 17 on or before 31 December of the year they sit NEET UG. For 2026, that means born on or before 31 December 2009. There is no upper age limit.

• Subjects. Class 12 (or an equivalent exam) with Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Biotechnology, and English.

• Citizenship. The NEET rule for foreign study applies to Indian citizens and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI).

• NEET UG. The student must qualify NEET UG. Qualifying means scoring at or above the 50th percentile for General candidates, or the 40th percentile for SC, ST and OBC candidates.

How to study MBBS abroad, step 2: qualify NEET UG

NEET UG is the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, the medical entrance exam run by the National Testing Agency (NTA). In 2026, close to 20 lakh candidates appeared in the re-examination of 21 June and 11.21 lakh qualified, according to the NTA NEET UG 2026 result press release of 16 July 2026.

Most foreign universities do not ask for a high NEET rank. A qualifying score is enough for the NMC rule. The rank decides only your chances in Indian counselling, which our NEET hub covers round by round.

The Indian numbers explain why so many families look abroad. India has 808 medical colleges and 1,23,700 MBBS seats, according to a Cabinet release on PIB. Set against 11.21 lakh qualified candidates in 2026, that is roughly one seat for every nine students who qualified.

How to study MBBS abroad, step 3: understand the NMC rules

The National Medical Commission (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) Regulations, 2021, notified on 18 November 2021, decide whether a foreign medical degree can lead to permanent registration in India. Permanent registration is the licence to practise as a doctor here. The full list of NMC regulations sits on the NMC rules and regulations page.

European six-year medical programmes generally meet the length rule on their own. The question to ask each university is about the internship and the licence. Our guide on how to check NMC and WDOMS recognition walks through it. The World Directory of Medical Schools, or WDOMS, lists recognised medical schools worldwide, and a university missing from it is a warning sign.

NMC has also issued advisories for students going abroad. The MEA page for Indian students abroad collects the NMC advisories and the MEA advice for medical students. Our web story on the NMC 2026 advisory on MBBS abroad explains the latest one.

How to study MBBS abroad, step 4: choose the country and university

Choose on three things you can check: whether the course meets the NMC rules, the full fee, and how graduates from that country do in FMGE. Climate and city life matter, but they come after these.

How to study MBBS abroad with FMGE results in mind

The screening test result is the clearest outcome measure. The table uses the NBEMS FMGE Performance Report 2025, for the countries that sent the most candidates in the December 2025 session.

In plain terms, fewer than one in four candidates passed in December 2025. The pass rate also moves a lot between sessions, so look at more than one.

Graduates of European Union universities appear in very small numbers. In December 2025, 15 candidates from Poland sat the test and 9 passed, 8 from Hungary sat and 7 passed, and 4 from the Czech Republic sat and 2 passed. With groups this small, a percentage can swing widely, so read the counts, not just the rate.

Our FMGE pass rate guide and the web story on FMGE pass rate by country track these figures each session.

futureMBBS partner universities for MBBS abroad

futureMBBS works with 23 partner universities in 9 countries. All teach medicine in English.

How to study MBBS abroad, step 5: apply and sit the admission test

Each European university runs its own admission. You apply on its online portal, pay an application fee and sit its entrance test, usually in biology and chemistry, sometimes with physics or an interview. Three official admission pages show how this looks for 2026 to 2027.

Timing matters for Indian students. Comenius University asks applicants from outside the European Union to take its March or June entrance exam, because the visa process can take several weeks (Comenius admission page). An August test date can leave too little time for the visa.

Our guide to the MBBS entrance exam in Europe covers each test format. The university pages for Charles University First Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University and Riga Stradins University give the full picture for each.

How to study MBBS abroad, step 6: plan the full cost

Plan the six-year total, not the first-year fee. Tuition, accommodation, food, health insurance, visa and travel all add up. A course at EUR 13,000 a year costs EUR 78,000 in tuition alone over six years.

The fair comparison for most families is a private or deemed seat in India, not a government seat.

Our six-year cost of MBBS in Europe adds living costs by city, and the tuition fees page lists fees for all 23 partner universities. For a quick view, see the web story on MBBS fees in India and abroad in 2026.

How to study MBBS abroad, step 7: prepare the documents

Keep two sets of documents ready: one for the university and one for the visa.

Documents for the university application

• Passport. Valid for the whole first year at least, since the visa is tied to it.

• Class 10 and Class 12 mark sheets and certificates. These prove the subjects and marks the university asks for.

• NEET UG scorecard. The university may not need it, but India does for your licence later.

• Application fee receipt. For example EUR 285 at Charles University First Faculty of Medicine or EUR 99 at Comenius University.

• Photographs and any extra forms listed on the university admission page.

How to study MBBS abroad: documents for the student visa

The Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi is a useful example. For a long-term study visa it asks for the following.

• Original passport and one photograph.

• Document on the purpose of stay. For a student, this is the university's confirmation of admission.

• Proof of accommodation for the stay in the Czech Republic.

• Proof of funds to cover living costs.

• Police record extract from India, required from age 15.

• Visa fee.

The embassy asks for documents in Czech, no older than 180 days, and with an apostille on Indian public documents. An apostille is a certificate that proves an Indian document is genuine for use in countries that signed the Hague Apostille Convention. The Ministry of External Affairs issues it, as its attestation and apostille page explains. Our guide to the apostille for MBBS in Europe gives the steps.

How to study MBBS abroad, step 8: get the student visa

Book the visa slot as soon as the admission letter arrives. Slots can be limited. The Czech Embassy in New Delhi, for example, opens study visa bookings for Indian citizens on fixed registration days each month. In 2026 these included 1 July, 5 August, 2 September and 7 October (Czech Embassy booking notice).

Each country has its own rules and embassy. Our student visa guide for MBBS in Europe covers them country by country.

Before you fly

Register on the MEA Students Registration Portal. The Ministry of External Affairs launched it in July 2015 for voluntary registration of Indian students abroad. It lets the Indian mission contact you in an emergency. The web story on what to do before leaving for MBBS abroad lists the rest.

How to study MBBS abroad and then practise in India

After the degree and the 12-month internship abroad, a graduate who wants to work in India follows three steps set by the NMC FMGL Regulations.

1. Register in the country of study. The graduate must be registered with that country's medical regulator, on the same terms as its own citizens.

2. Pass the screening test. Today this is FMGE, run by NBEMS. The regulations name the National Exit Test (NExT) as the test that will replace it. Our guide to NExT or FMGE in 2026 explains which applies to whom.

3. Complete a 12-month supervised internship in India. The graduate applies to the NMC for this internship. Permanent registration follows.

Graduates can also stay and work in the country of study, under its own licensing rules, or go on to postgraduate training in India through NEET PG.

How to study MBBS abroad when something goes wrong

• What if I did not qualify NEET UG? Without a NEET qualification, a foreign MBBS cannot lead to practice in India. Sit NEET UG again before starting a foreign course.

• What if I miss the visa slot? The student may miss the start of term. This is why universities such as Comenius ask non-EU applicants to take an earlier entrance exam.

• What if I want to change university midway? The FMGL rules require the whole course and internship at the same institution. Read our guide on medical university transfers before considering one.

• What if I fail FMGE? FMGE was held in June and December in 2025, so a graduate can sit it again in a later session.

Conclusion: how to study MBBS abroad the right way

To study MBBS abroad, qualify NEET UG, choose a university whose course meets every NMC rule, apply early enough for the visa, and plan the six-year cost. The NMC check matters more than any other step, because it decides whether the degree can lead to a licence in India.

Our step-by-step guide to studying medicine abroad goes deeper into each application. If you want to talk it through, contact futureMBBS.

Frequently asked questions about how to study MBBS abroad

Is NEET compulsory to study MBBS abroad?

Yes. The NTA NEET UG 2026 information bulletin states that Indian citizens and OCI candidates who want to study medicine at a foreign institute must also qualify NEET UG. Without it, the foreign degree cannot lead to a licence in India, even if the university admits the student without NEET.

What is the minimum age to study MBBS abroad?

The student must be 17 on or before 31 December of the NEET UG year. For NEET UG 2026, that means born on or before 31 December 2009. The NEET UG 2026 bulletin confirms there is no upper age limit. Each university may add its own admission conditions on top.

How long does it take to study MBBS abroad?

The NMC FMGL Regulations, 2021 require a course of at least 54 months plus a 12-month internship at the same foreign university. European programmes usually last six years. Comenius University in Bratislava and Riga Stradins University in Latvia, for example, both run six-year medicine programmes for 2026 to 2027.

Can I practise in India after MBBS abroad?

Yes, if the course met the NMC rules. The graduate needs a licence in the country of study, must pass the screening test (currently FMGE, run by NBEMS), and must complete a 12-month supervised internship in India. Permanent registration with NMC then allows practice as a doctor in India.

What is the FMGE pass rate for MBBS abroad graduates?

In the December 2025 session, 10,264 of 42,868 candidates passed, a rate of 23.94 per cent, according to the NBEMS FMGE Performance Report 2025. In June 2025, 6,709 of 36,037 passed, or 18.62 per cent. Rates vary widely by country, from 14.26 per cent for China to 34.45 per cent for Bangladesh.

How much does MBBS abroad in Europe cost?

Tuition at European medical faculties ranges widely. For 2026 to 2027, Comenius University charges EUR 13,000 a year and Riga Stradins University EUR 13,500, while Charles University First Faculty of Medicine charges EUR 24,250. Add living costs, insurance and travel to reach the full six-year figure for budgeting.

Do European universities have an entrance exam for MBBS?

Most do. Each university sets its own test, usually in biology and chemistry. Charles University First Faculty of Medicine and Comenius University both run their own entrance tests. Comenius asks applicants from outside the European Union to sit its March or June exam, so the visa can be ready in time.

Which documents do I need to study MBBS abroad on a student visa?

For a Czech long-term study visa, the Czech Embassy in New Delhi asks for the passport, a photograph, the admission letter, proof of accommodation, proof of funds, a police record extract and the visa fee. Indian public documents need an apostille from the Ministry of External Affairs and a Czech translation.

Sources

• National Medical Commission: Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021

• National Medical Commission: rules and regulations page

• NTA: NEET (UG) 2026 information bulletin

• NTA: NEET (UG) 2026 result press release, 16 July 2026

• Press Information Bureau: Cabinet approves expansion of medical education capacity

• NBEMS: Foreign Medical Graduate Examination page

• NBEMS: FMGE Performance Report 2025

• World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS) search

• Charles University, First Faculty of Medicine: admission 2026 to 2027

• Comenius University, Faculty of Medicine: admission process

• Riga Stradins University: tuition fees for studies in English

• Manipal Academy of Higher Education: 2026 to 2027 general fees

• Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Pune: MBBS fee structure 2026 to 2027

• Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi: long-term visa and residence permit

• Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi: booking study visa appointments

• Ministry of External Affairs: attestation and apostille matters

• Ministry of External Affairs: Students Registration Portal

• Ministry of External Affairs: Indian students abroad